This invention relates to an insulated wrap, such as the type commonly used with beverage cans or other beverage containers, although useful to cool any desired item. The wrap of the present invention is constructed in a somewhat similar fashion to prior art type devices, however, the process whereby the wrap of the present invention is produced has been greatly improved to the extent that the entire process may be done by a single piece of machinery having multiple stages for performing each of the steps of the process. Furthermore, the wrap of the present invention is dramatically improved in terms of the construction of the wrap, as well as in terms of the eutectic solution utilized as a refrigerant.
Insofar as prior art type insulated wraps are concerned, various patents show alternate forms of existing type devices. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,089 shows a beverage wrap which is constructed in a linear fashion by producing a plurality of pouches along the length of the wrap. Each of the pouches self-contains a refrigerant therein, and in its completed format, is intended to wrap around a beverage can as illustrated in the drawings therein. It will be noted, however, that once constructed, the pouches are circular and/or elliptic in configuration, and hence, only the tangential portion of the pouch adjacent to the can will have any cooling impact upon the beverage can. Furthermore, the wrap as illustrated therein requires multiple steps and/or processes in order to construct the wrap, thereby making the wrap somewhat expensive to produce.
Still another patent illustrating an alternate form of a beverage wrap is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,831,842. As illustrated therein, the wrap consists of a multi-layered structure including an outer sheet formed from a nylon fabric having a rubber backing. There is also included an inner liner element which is sewn or otherwise secured to the inside wall of the outer sheet. The liner contains one or more liquid tight receptacles which are positioned between two sheets of thin polyester cotton thereby to create the liner. The inner liner element is then secured to the outer sheet as illustrated, by sewing or other fastening means. It will become evident that in order to create a wrap of this type, there are several individualized steps in the process which must be effected in order to create the outer sheet formed into a tubular member with the inner liner element secured thereto. Furthermore, from the above description, it is obvious that the receptacles containing the refrigerant must similarly be secured between two sheets of polyester cotton in order to create the inner liner element. Hence, the cost of production of such a wrap is prohibitively high, and it will also be appreciated that because of the manner in which the receptacles are formed, that only the part of the receptacle adjacent to the can will have the refrigerating effect. Furthermore, since the refrigerant receptacles are contained between two sheets of polyester cotton, the refrigerant compacity of the device is somewhat reduced.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,399,668 illustrates still another format for a beverage wrap which includes an inner coolant layer for wrapping about the container, which again contains multiple receptacles or cavities in which a coolant is contained, with the coolant layer being externally surrounded by an insulative layer. It is obvious from the description and the claims that the two layers are separately formed, and it must be mechanically manipulated in order to effectively place the wrap around a beverage container. It will also be appreciated that the coolant which is employed is one of the types generally sold under the Trademark, BLUE ICE, which is basically a gel type substance. Indeed, it is prevalent in the prior art that coolant or refrigerant which is utilized is a gel type solution which is intended to be placed in a freezer and frozen, and has characteristics of taking a period of time to defrost during which time it functions as a heat sink to cool the beverage about which it is wrapped.
Once again, it is evident from the review of the patent that multiple steps must be employed in order to create the wrap, and indeed, the inner coolant layer is separately formed from the outer insulating sheet, such that separate manufacturing processes must be employed.
A further type of beverage wrap is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,324,111. The wrap employed in the subject patent is created with multiple cavities in which a freezing gel solution is contained. As indicated previously, it is intended that the wrap be placed in a freezing compartment of some type, so that the gel will fully freeze. As shown in the drawings, once wrapped about the beverage container, the tangential sides of the circular pouches are positioned against the beverage container and function to perform the cooling process. It will be appreciated, however, that because only a part of the circular structure of each cavity is in tangential alignment with the beverage can, the cooling proficiency of the wrap is diminished.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,183,226 illustrates still another type of prior art beverage wrap which again is shown to be formed by a plurality of pouches in which a refrigerant of some type is employed. Once again, as with other prior art type wraps, it is apparent from review of the structure as indicated in the patent that the process for making such a wrap requires multiple processes in order to complete the construction of the wrap. As with other prior art devices, the cost of producing such products is reasonably high, and therefore, such types of wraps have not achieved any great degree of commercial success.